This project is about sharing disability service info to Latinos in our state. People of all backgrounds have the same rights. Everyone should be able to get the same services and opportunities.
The ALLY Alliance is growing. More Persons with Disabilities are joining the self-advocacy movement. This project will support their growth and make the movement stronger. With this growth, the Alliance will improve systems.
George Mason University is researching disability service info. They want to know who creates and shares this info, who uses the info and who else is involved. Their research will help our state to improve data and info access.
Diversity, Inclusion & Visibility talks about why it’s good to include people with developmental disabilities (DD). People with DD should be included at work, in the neighborhood and all parts of life. The Arc of Virginia is in charge of this project. They are sharing tools to make places more inclusive.
The pilot program aims to provide training about Support Service Providers (SSPs). An SSP is a person who acts as a deafblind person’s eyes and ears. An SSP empowers a deafblind person with the info they need to make their own choices. Through the program, providers will learn how to perform SSP duties. Deafblind people will learn how to work with SSPs. The program will then help to assign SSPs to people who are deafblind.
Training on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (TIDE) helps direct support workers. Through TIDE, workers explore bias and how a person’s sense of self impacts them. Sense of self includes thoughts about their disability, race, age and more. Building on that knowledge, workers learn to talk and empathize with people who are different from them.
Ability First is a fitness and wellness program. They help people with developmental disabilities (DD) who live in rural areas. The program helps people to live healthy.
The ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV) gave COVID-19 shots to people with disabilities. They got this done through many ways. They worked with pharmacies. They also had pop-up events. (A pop-up is an event that happens for a short time.) Disability Champions shared info about the shots in many languages and with many cultures.
The disability Law Center of Virginia (dLCV) worked with many groups for this project. One group was made up of people with developmental disabilities (DD), their family members, staff and others. dLCV made a database on health and safety cases. They looked at the data and found ways to protect people with DD.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, people in our state were ordered to stay at home. Most people could only go outside for food or to see the doctor. Many people felt sad and lonely. Hope House made videos to help people with disabilities feel less alone.
The Up Center made a board game called SAFARI. This game helped Direct Service Professionals (DSP) to get to know the people with developmental disabilities (DD) that they serve. This game was made to help reduce DSP turnover. This would then improve quality of life for the people they serve.
This project linked many self-advocacy groups into one Alliance. They took the lead to make change. Together, they talked with lawmakers. They worked to get better supports for people with developmental disabilities (DD).
This project taught people with developmental disabilities (DD) how to use Supported Decision-Making (SDM). SDM makes people’s lives better. With SDM, people with DD have power to make their own choices, lead their own lives and avoid guardianship.
All people should be able to stay safe. This project translated and interpreted into American Sign Language a handbook called Understanding Protective Orders. This book is about abuse and how to get a protective order. The project also made videos to help people get help.
This project made training led by people with developmental disabilities (DD). The training was in-person and online. They trained people with DD, business leaders and employment service staff. The training helped to make more jobs for people with DD in Lynchburg, Roanoke, Southside and Southwest Virginia.
William & Mary University (W&M) worked with Next Move to make a program. Through this program, young adults with developmental disabilities (DD) got skill training. With their new skills, they worked as interns.
Radford University worked with schools and parents in Waynesboro City and Pulaski County. They helped the schools and parents to fight for more inclusion. They formed teams and held workshops. Schools that are inclusive support the minds, emotions and health of students with disabilities.
A wellness program was made to train community groups in Shenandoah Valley. The training helps these groups to support the health of people with disabilities.
People with developmental disabilities (DD) learned more about health. They also learned how to talk with doctors and their direct care staff to get the care that they need.
The goal of this project was to help families of students with disabilities. This project helped families to understand the times in school that would impact the future of their children.